4th of July with your Dog

The second week of summer happens to host the 4^th of July, which makes attending a 4^th of July parade an excellent activity.

Enjoy the festivities of 4^th of July this year in Anaheim Hills, with the Firecracker 5k/10k Run, a pancake breakfast, a Yankee Doodle Dog show, a parade, and then fun in the park. The day is filled with 4^th of July fun, which you can enjoy with your dog, including their annual parade as it marches down Santa Ana Canyon Blvd. at 1 p.m. 

Orange Park Acres (in Orange Hills) is hosting a 5k Walk/Run Race & 10k Epic Challenge Cross-Country Race, followed by a parade. The day begins at 6:45 a.m., and the Parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. 

The Huntington Beach 4thof July Parade is said to be “the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi River” with more than 300 entries, from bands and floats to celebrities and community groups.  The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway and will end at Main Street and Yorktown Avenue.  

The Newport Beach Harbor OldGlory Boat Parade is a festive spectacle of boats, decorated in red, white, and blue, cruising around the harbor.  The fun filled day begins at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast, followed by a buffet lunch, dancing, the boat parade, and fireworks. The boat parade starts at 2:30 p.m.

There will plenty of patriotic parades throughout Southern California this Independence Day, so check your local city calendar to see if your city will be hosting a parade this year.  And remember that fireworks can be very upsetting for a dog, so please leave them at home for the fireworks.  Have a safe and fun 4^th of July!  

FIREWORKS ALERT! Before you leave for the night to enjoy fireworks, make sure your dog is taken care of.  Most, if not all dogs, hate loud and startling noises; and fireworks are at the top of that list.  Fireworks can make the perfect dog turn into the most neurotic dog you’ve ever seen.  To help keep your dog’s sanity and your property in tack I suggest the following:  

1.       Make sure your dog is inside the house before leaving for the night.  If you have an outside dog, then put them in the garage (after the sun goes down so they don’t suffer a heat stoke).  If your dog is allowed inside the house, put them in a room furthest from where you think the firework noise will be coming from (for example, if the fireworks show is at a local school just east of your house then put your dog in the furthest room to the west).

2.       Turn on soothing music.  Classical music is best in my opinion, but anything will do as long as it isn’t angry or harsh music that would cause your dog further anxiety. (FYI: the classical FM station is 91.5). You don’t want to turn the volume all the way up, making your dog deaf or causing more anxiety, but make it loud enough to distract them from outside noises.

No matter what you decide to do this holiday weekend, please keep your dog’s health, happiness, and safety in mind.  Don’t become a statistic.  If you take them to the river, please remember that life jacket while on the water.  If you take them on a road trip, please remember that seat belt harness.  Lots of water, shade, and sun block will keep your dog happy and healthy as well.  Enjoy your Independence Day with your whole family, four-legged family members included!